Topsoil Calculator

By Giorgi Gaprindashvili · Updated Jul 2026

Estimate topsoil in cubic yards and tons for garden beds, lawn establishment, and raised beds.

Length ft

Width ft

Thickness inches

Density (fixed)

Screened topsoil (75 lb/ft³)75 lb/ft³

Waste / Overage

Area (auto)

Calculated area-

Your Topsoil Estimate

Cubic Yards (with waste)

Cubic Feet

40 lb Bags

1.5 ft³ Bags

Area Covered

What This Result Means

How to Use

Measure your area - length and width. For irregular beds, break into rectangles.
Choose depth - 2" for lawn repair, 4–6" for new gardens, 8–12" for raised beds.
See bags or yards - results show cubic yards plus 40 lb bags and 1.5 ft³ bag counts for garden-center buying.
Add 10% waste - topsoil settles after watering. Account for settling and spillage.
Order screened soil - screened topsoil is free of rocks and debris. Unscreened is cheaper but lumpy.

Quick answer

One cubic yard of topsoil covers 108 square feet at 3 inches deep, or 54 square feet at 6 inches. A yard weighs roughly a ton (about 2,000 lb screened and dry - more when wet), so a pickup truck handles about one yard per trip. For a new lawn plan on 4-6 inches; for topdressing an existing lawn, half an inch is plenty. Enter your area and depth above for cubic yards, tons, and bag counts.

Topsoil Depth by Job

Depth drives the whole order: the same 500 sq ft lawn takes 0.8 yards as a half-inch topdressing but 7.7 yards as a 5-inch new-lawn base. Loosen the subsoil before spreading so the new layer bonds instead of shearing off.

How Much Topsoil Do I Need?

The depth of topsoil depends on what you're growing. Grass needs a minimum 4 inches of quality topsoil to establish strong roots. Vegetable gardens and flower beds perform best with 6 inches. Raised beds are typically filled 8 to 12 inches deep. For trees and shrubs, the planting hole should be backfilled with a mix of native soil and topsoil.

Quality matters as much as quantity. Good topsoil should be dark, crumbly, and smell earthy - not sour. Ask your supplier if the topsoil is screened (rocks and debris removed) and whether it contains compost. A 60/40 topsoil-compost blend is ideal for gardens and new lawns.

Topsoil Depth Guidelines

Match the depth to your project for the best results:

Project	Depth	Notes
Lawn overseeding	1–2 in	Spread thin, rake into existing grass
New lawn from seed	4 in	Minimum for healthy root development
New lawn from sod	4–6 in	Grade and compact before laying sod
Flower beds	6 in	Amend with compost for best results
Vegetable garden	6–8 in	Deep roots need deep soil
Raised beds	8–12 in	Use a topsoil/compost blend

For raised beds, a popular fill recipe is 60% topsoil, 30% compost, and 10% perlite or coarse sand for drainage.

How Much Soil for a Raised Bed

A raised bed is just a box to fill, so use the calculator with the bed's inside length and width and set the depth to the bed's height in inches. A common 8 × 4 ft bed filled 12 inches deep needs 32 cubic feet - about 1.2 cubic yards, or roughly 22 bags of 1.5 cubic feet. Measure the inside dimensions rather than the outside, and round up, since fresh soil settles.

Don't fill a bed with topsoil alone. A reliable mix is about 60% quality topsoil, 30% compost, and 10% perlite or coarse sand for drainage - work out the total volume here, then split it by those percentages. Most vegetables root happily in 8 to 12 inches of soil; root crops like carrots want at least 10.

Topsoil Coverage Quick Reference

Area	4" Deep	6" Deep	12" Deep
100 ft²	1.23 yd³ (1.0 tons)	1.85 yd³ (1.5 tons)	3.70 yd³ (3.0 tons)
250 ft²	3.09 yd³ (2.5 tons)	4.63 yd³ (3.7 tons)	9.26 yd³ (7.4 tons)
500 ft²	6.17 yd³ (4.9 tons)	9.26 yd³ (7.4 tons)	18.52 yd³ (14.8 tons)
1,000 ft²	12.35 yd³ (9.9 tons)	18.52 yd³ (14.8 tons)	37.04 yd³ (29.6 tons)

Based on 75 lb/ft³ screened topsoil. These are base quantities - add about 10% for settling and uneven ground when ordering.

Formulas

Volume and weight:

Volume (ft³) = Length × Width × (Depth ÷ 12)
Cubic yards = Volume ÷ 27
Weight (tons) = Volume × 75 ÷ 2,000
40 lb bags = Weight (lb) ÷ 40

Topsoil density varies with moisture. Dry screened topsoil: ~75 lb/ft³. Wet topsoil: ~90–100 lb/ft³.

Topsoil cost by type and quantity (2026)

Topsoil type	Per cubic yard bulk	Per 40 lb bag	Coverage at 4 in depth
Budget unscreened	$10-$20	$3-$5	~100 sq ft per yd3
Standard screened loam	$15-$30	$4-$6	~100 sq ft per yd3
Premium screened topsoil	$25-$45	$6-$9	~100 sq ft per yd3
Organic compost blend	$30-$60	$7-$12	~100 sq ft per yd3
Garden mix (topsoil + compost)	$35-$70	$8-$14	~100 sq ft per yd3

Bulk delivery typically $50-$150 per load (10-15 cubic yards). Bags cost roughly 3-5x more per cubic yard than bulk - only worth it for small touch-up fills under half a cubic yard. A truckload (12 yd3) covers about 1,200 sq ft at 4 inches deep. Quality matters: avoid fill-dirt sold as topsoil.

Related Calculators

Mulch CalculatorMulch over the soil.Fill Dirt CalculatorFill below topsoil.Pea Gravel CalculatorPea gravel coverage and tons.Pool Volume CalculatorGallons for dosing and equipment.

After You Know Your Yardage

Topsoil is usually step one of a bigger job. From here:

Blend in compostMixing 25-30% compost into the top layer beats straight topsoil for beds and lawns.
Seed the lawnPounds of seed by grass type for the area you just soiled.
Or lay sod insteadRolls and pallets for an instant lawn over the prepared soil.

Topsoil goes down first - then layer mulch or seed on top. See our complete landscaping calculator collection for compost, mulch, and sod.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between topsoil and garden soil?

Topsoil is the natural upper layer of earth - it's screened to remove debris but not enriched. Garden soil (or garden mix) is topsoil blended with compost, peat, and sometimes fertilizer. Garden soil costs more per yard but is ready to plant in. Topsoil needs amendment for most gardening applications.

How many cubic yards of topsoil fit in a pickup truck?

A standard half-ton pickup truck (F-150, Silverado 1500) can safely carry about ½ cubic yard of topsoil - which weighs 1,000–1,500 lbs depending on moisture. A three-quarter or one-ton truck can handle ¾ to 1 cubic yard. Overloading damages suspension and tires, and is unsafe. For quantities over 1 cubic yard, delivery is usually cheaper and safer.

How much topsoil do I need to fill a raised garden bed?

A standard 4×8 ft raised bed filled 12 inches deep requires approximately 32 cubic feet, or about 1.2 cubic yards. Most raised beds are filled 6–12 inches deep. Use the calculator above for your exact dimensions. For deep beds, you can fill the bottom half with cheaper fill or wood (hugelkultur method) and use quality topsoil blend for the top 6–8 inches where plants root.

How deep should topsoil be for a lawn?

Grass roots need at least 4–6 inches of quality topsoil. For new lawns on subsoil or fill, a 6-inch layer of topsoil is the minimum for healthy turf. Vegetable gardens and flowerbeds benefit from 12 inches. If adding topsoil over existing lawn, limit additions to 1–2 inches per year to avoid smothering existing grass - grass can recover from thin topdressing but not from being buried.

How deep should topsoil be for a new lawn?

For a new lawn from seed or sod, 4 inches of quality topsoil is the practical minimum - grass roots need loose, nutrient-rich soil to establish quickly. Six inches is better in compacted or poor-quality subsoil. If you're laying sod, the sod itself is about 1 inch thick, so place it on 4–5 inches of prepared topsoil so the finished grade is correct. Till the top 2 inches before laying sod or seeding to eliminate the interface layer where roots can stall.

Updated Jul 2026 · See our Methodology

These results are planning-grade estimates, not engineering measurements. Actual requirements vary by site conditions, mix design, compaction, and local codes. Always verify with your supplier and a licensed contractor. See our Data Sources and Methodology.